Mapping strategic thought and action in developing disruptive software technology: advanced case study research on how the firm crafts shared vision

Abstract

This case study uses two story-telling methods for analysis - an advanced hermeneutic framework and an extended form of decision systems analysis (DSA) incorporating cognitive mapping - to explore the strategic thought in building a software house around a philosophy of "best practice" application development. The paper explores decision-making for turning an ambitious vision (automation of enterprise-based sales and marketing activities) into a focused application (pricing configuration software), and then into a large software house (Trilogy) offering enterprise e-commerce suites. Trilogy's management team's decision-making was heavily influenced by a strong perception that the organization needed to take risks to achieve "critical mass" in anticipation of a convergence of "back-office" and "front-office" applications into one market. The advanced case study also addresses Trilogy's transition of its applications into Internet environments, plus the transformation of the organization from a product-orientation to a strictly industry-based business and application development perspective. Trilogy has not compromised its strict application development philosophies, but has incorporated its fast cycle time (FCT) methods into its industry-focused business divisions - and now actually offers the method as a set of services.